


See the exit wound

by FancifulRivers



Series: faded morning glories and hopes for a better future [11]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Bullying, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Misgendering, Non-Binary Chara, Non-Binary Frisk, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-17 06:02:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13070631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FancifulRivers/pseuds/FancifulRivers
Summary: Frisk gets into a fight at school.





	See the exit wound

 Your knuckles are purple.

The boy in front of you is crying, holding his nose (the crunch of your fist meeting his face still lingers in your ears). Chara is cheering you on, Asriel is pulling on his ears in that little way he does when he's distressed, but you-

You just stare at your knuckles, watching the splotches of color spread.

"What's this?" An angry voice booms and of course the teacher is late. The teacher is always late. The teacher doesn't want to hear that he called Chara a girl and that he laughed when he saw Chara and Asriel sitting to one side (because Chara's having a bad pain day, even though you know they'd rather pull out their own teeth than admit it) and said "freaks of a feather flock together." She doesn't want to hear he started it, she only wants to know that you finished it.

You wish you'd hit him harder.

You know violence isn't supposed to be the answer. You know Mom's going to be disappointed and Dad's going to sweep you up in his arms and make you tea and ask you if you feel all right (you don't). You know you're supposed to be sweet, gentle, kind Frisk and punching someone in the face warps your image. You don't know how to tell them that it was already warped.

"This means suspension," the teacher warns you. You just hunch your shoulders in and rock back and forth on your heels, pretending not to listen. Not listening, not listening, she can't make you-

Her hand clutches your shoulder and you flinch back, hands automatically coming up to defend yourself.

"HEY," Chara shouts, and their voice is louder than you've ever heard it. Louder and angrier. You stare, open-mouthed, as Chara crutches over to the supervising teacher, exaggerating their limp with every step. "Don't  _fucking_ touch my sibling."

"Language!" The teacher chides, but Chara's on a roll, you realise with slowly dawning admiration.

"You aren't allowed to touch kids like that, you wanna end up on a list? Frisk was just  _defending_ themself, anyway, and defending me and Ree," Chara says, jerking a thumb over at Asriel, who by now has stood to join them. His fur bristles in ways you didn't know were possible. " _That_ asshole has been bullying Frisk and me for  _months_ and you don't do  _shit_ about it except to tell us to be the bigger person.  _Fuck_ that. I hope his nose  _is_ broken and I hope it heals crooked."

Of course, this impassioned speech leads to all three of you being sent to the principal's office (despite Asriel not saying anything).

"This is bullshit," Chara grumbles, kicking their heels hard against the sides of their chair. "Don't you get diplomatic immunity anyway? You're the fucking monster-human  _ambassador_ , for fuck's sake."

_I should be a good example,_ you sign gloomily. Now that the adrenaline has started to ebb away, you feel slightly ashamed of how easy it was to punch him. But you were so  _tired_ of him, so tired of him getting away with insulting you and misgendering you and Chara and just-

You deserve better. Chara and Asriel  _definitely_ deserve better.

_I shouldn't punch people,_ you tell Chara. They look skeptical.

"Punching people works, though," they argue. "I bet that asshole doesn't bother you again." The fact that they are probably right doesn't help.

"Chara," Asriel speaks up, still clutching his ears. They glance over at him and immediately soften.

"Whatever," they grumble. 

The principal comes in, followed by Mom. Your heart sinks into your shoes when you see Mom. She looks so disappointed, her eyes soft and sad. The thought that you've put that look on her face makes you want to be sick.

"Oh, Frisk," Mom says, when she notices the bruises on your hand. "That looks so painful." You shrug. Your knuckles throb, but you don't want to admit it. Not when the principal is standing right there, mouth a thin line of disapproval.

"Violence is unacceptable in this school," the principal begins. You aren't surprised when Chara interrupts.

"Then how come he hasn't been suspended already?"

The principal blinks.

"Excuse me?" She says.

"How come he hasn't been suspended already?" Chara repeats. "He keeps misgendering Frisk and me. Does the school not give a fuck about transphobia, or..."

"Language, Chara," Mom says softly. 

"That isn't the same as breaking a boy's nose," the principal snaps, looking flustered.

"No, it's not," Mom agrees. "But I'd like to know why this boy's behavior hasn't been addressed before now."  _I wish you had told me,_ her eyes seem to tell you, and you squirm in your chair.

The principal splutters, and you tune out for the rest, leaning against Asriel and taking comfort in the soft warmth of his fur. You have in-school suspension for the rest of the week (as does Chara, for their 'disrespect'), but the boy you punched has it, too. And maybe out-of-school suspension. You aren't clear on that part. You don't care. Mom guides you all out of the principal's office.

_I'm sorry,_ you sign to her, in the dubious safety of the hallway. She hugs you, sweeping you up so you can hear her heartbeat, gently thudding in your ear.

"I know," she says. "It's all right."

You can't help but smile.


End file.
